Patrick White's House Up for Auction

By Perry Middlemiss on April 4, 2005 12:59 PM

Back in February I reported on the plan to sell Patrick White's house in Sydney, and the attempt by a number of prominent Sydney-siders to raise the funds necessary to buy the house. Now comes the news that the house will actually go up for auction this coming Saturday. Only approximately $100,000 was pledged for the appeal, and as the estimated selling price is a cool $3.5million, the money fell a long way short. Neither State nor Federal Governments deemed it important enough to intercede. As Matthew Condon states in his "Courier-Mail" report:

"If only White had also represented his country in cricket, or rugby league or union, or won a clutch of gold medals at an Olympic Games. If only White had scored an Academy Award, or been a billionaire property developer, or been a talkback radio host for much of his career.

"Silly, silly Patrick. Spending his whole life thinking about the past, present and future of his country, distilling its rhythms and thoughts, penning petty little words and thinking they may contribute to his nation's culture."